


“I always come back,” then why didn’t you?

by Imshookandbi



Series: You said you’d come back, didn’t you? [1]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst, Assassin Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Brief Fluff before the Angst, Brother-Sister Relationship, Damian Wayne Needs a Hug, Dark-Skinned Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Found Family, Grief, I NEARLY FORGOT THAT TAG, Its a personal headcanon and NO i will NOT be taking shit for it, Oh, Ra’s is a big old bag of DICKS, Sibling Relationship, Talia doesn’t actually care she’s just mad this happened, Talia is only here for a brief moment, Talia is... not a Good Mom, Talia’s A+ Parenting, The League of Assassins (DCU), Writer doesn’t know SHIT abt the DCU, so have mercy, yeah - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-23
Updated: 2020-06-23
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:29:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24884617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Imshookandbi/pseuds/Imshookandbi
Summary: Damian waits for his uhkti to return from a mission.
Relationships: Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Damian Wayne
Series: You said you’d come back, didn’t you? [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1804474
Comments: 21
Kudos: 390





	“I always come back,” then why didn’t you?

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Pixie of Gotham](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24659776) by [AbyssalGuardian](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AbyssalGuardian/pseuds/AbyssalGuardian). 



Damian waited impatiently near the entrance to the League, hidden in the shadows as he waited for Mara to appear. It was roughly around the time she would be back from her assignment and he loathed to admit it, but he was restless. 

She’d left yesterday evening, only a few hours shy after mealtime with a small group of amateurs. And, as was tradition, she visited Damian before she’d left. 

_“I cannot stay long, ahki.” She whispered, crouched low in front of Damian, dressed to kill with her hood drawn up. Her hair, braided as it always was, hung over her shoulder and nearly brushed against the ground while the soft light highlighted her dark, copper skin and made her pale blue eyes almost glow. “The others will be wondering where I am and we depart in a few minutes.”_

_Damian sneered, “I do not understand the reasoning for the additional assassins, qalbi. You can handle yourself and have proven to be competent.” He said, arms crossed over his chest and his nose in the air haughtily. It was the closest to a compliment the young boy would get._

_Mara chuckled lowly, a gloved hand reaching out and tucking a strand of hair behind Damian’s ear. “I appreciate your confidence in me, but it was Talia’s orders. Do not be so worried, dumi.” At this, she gave him a wry grin, one that was only meant for him. “I always come back.”_

The sound of distant, boisterous laughter drew Damian out of his thoughts. Straightening up, he pushed himself off the wall he was leaning against and crept forward. Mara was with a group of four, this was promising.

Unfortunately, the group’s.... _unruly_ behavior caught the attention of many of the members loitering in the courtyard, and they all began to gravitate towards the entrance. 

Damian scowled.

Just then the small group walked through the gates, cocky grins on all their faces. That didn’t draw away from the many injuries they had, but the one in the center- the one being clapped on the back by his buddies, sustained the worst. There was a heavy cut under his eye, his side was bleeding, as if he’d gotten stabbed, his clothes torn, and he was cradling his arm as he leaned against another member for support.

Damian didn’t see Mara, something churned uncomfortably in his stomach that he tried to squash down. Perhaps she was hidden behind the mass of the—

But no, no. Damian recognized those cuts, the precise injuries and style was distinctly Mara’s. He should know, he received the very same wounds during training. Damian’s eyes narrowed, why would his uhkti need to attack her fellow assassins?

Before he could make his presence known, mother appeared in a whirlwind, looking positively furious. “What are you _thinking.”_ She snarled, cutting through the small body of League members, who parted for her, towards the group. “This organization has been a secret for _centuries_ and you could have lead an outsider straight to us due to your incompetence!” 

The four paled, suddenly looking much less proud than they were before. Damian smirked lightly. Mother opened her mouth again, but as she was about to speak, her jaw snapped shut and her eyes peered venomously at them. “Where. Is. Mara?” She asked. 

Bravado returned with a rigor in the group and the supposed leader grinned smugly, “Dead! We killed her.” He boasted, his head tilting to the side. “Well, _I_ killed her, they-“ He motioned to the lackeys at his side, “helped.” 

The air was punched out of Damian’s lungs. _‘No. No, no, he is **lying.’**_ Uhkti couldn’t be dead, she’d never let herself get overtaken like that. She was too clever, too _strong_ to allow herself to be defeated. 

Except... except the proof was there for all to see, Mara was dead and they’d... they’d left her body there. There was no way to bring her back, not unless they traveled back to retrieve her and dump her into the Lazarus pits. 

_‘But then she’d never be the same.’_ Damian thought stiltedly, his throat running dry as his heart cried out in agony. The Lazarus pits changed people, that much he knew, they changed people and very few could survive the maddening effects of the pools. Even if the Lazarus did bring back his ukhti, there’d be no telling if she could break through the pit madness. 

His eyes stung at the revelation and he swallowed back the tears that began to wallow up. No weakness in the League. No tears. Damian blinked and focused back onto the group. His mother was holding the leader by the lapels, her face twisted in anger.

“-training isn’t finished yet and you _killed_ the only person competent enough to do it, I should _kill_ you for your insolence.” She snarled, the leader was pale and shaking, his eyes wide in fear.

Damian relished in the look. Good. _Good._ He should be afraid, Damian will do so much worse when he was done with him. 

_“Talia.”_ Grandfather’s voice cut through the air, jutting Damian out of his thoughts and catching the attention of the courtyard. “Enough.” 

“Ra’s, this fool _killed_ Ibn’s handler-“ 

“And I approve.” 

The world underneath Damian’s feet shattered. 

He needed to leave, he- he needed to be by himself. He couldn’t believe his ears. Clenching and unclenching his fists, Damian turned on his heel and disappeared back into the shadows. His heart feeling heavier than it did this morning with a headache to match. 

_‘You told me you’d come back, qalbi.’_

**Author's Note:**

> Dumi > ‘dah-mee’ (means ‘my blood’)
> 
> Qalbi > ‘ahl-bee’ (means ‘my heart’)
> 
> Uhkti > ‘ook-tee’ (means ‘sister’)
> 
> Ahki > ‘ahk-tee’ (means ‘brother’)
> 
> Context: When Marinette is eight she’s... ahem ‘took in’ (re: kidnapped) by the League (aka idk she walked in on an assassination during a catering event and instead of killing her the assassin took her back to the League) and indoctrinated into the organization. She goes thru training and yadda-yadda she ends up as Damian’s handler/trainer bc she’s actually pretty efficient and creative with her kills. 
> 
> So for 4 years she trains Damian, and they grow close and form a sibling-like bond. (Damian is 4 years younger btw, making him 4 when they meet). Then, when she‘s around 12 she gets sent on a group mission and... well... you see how that goes. 
> 
> Oh! And before I forget, Marinette is presumed to be mute, and her name is Mara. The impromptu murder was also unsanctioned, but Ra’s approved of it anyways since Mara was dangerously close to his ‘weapon’. 
> 
> Is Mara really dead? Or did she manage to fake it just in time? Who knows? You certainly don’t ;)
> 
> (This whole au was also inspired by a scene in AbyssalGuardian’s fanfic ‘Pixie in Gotham’, chapter 5 if anyone is wondering)


End file.
